I'm fighting my first cold of the season and it's moved into my sinuses, so all you get are links once again.  Special thanks to Scrabbles and Kyle for posting something worth talking about the last couple of days.  I hope to be back to a healthier level tomorrow.

• Baseball Prospectus has the Hot Stove Preview up for the Reds.  It's behind the subscription wall, so I can only give you a blurb:

  So here's the suggestion that they sneak up on people by giving Milton Bradley a multi-year offer to play left field in a park he'll continue to thrive in. Skip the cautions over dealing in-division, and try to get Alcides Escobar and whatever else from the Brewers for Arroyo, resolving their shortstop problem and adding a hitter who, while he won't get on base a lot, will deliver more power than you expect because of his ability to make contact in a homer-happy park.

  Bradley's not a bad idea, but he might be too expensive and risky for a team that isn't quite ready to compete. I have to think the Brewers would be more likely to trade Hardy than Escobar, especially if they are taking on salary. I wouldn't mind having either one.
• Crosley Field Terrace likes the new Mariners GM's plan to set up a statistical analysis department.  I think he also is personally asking me to hassle Jocketty at Redsfest next month.  Sounds like a plan.
• Doug's been doing some thinking about Justin Turner.  He's an interesting, under-the-radar prospect in my opinion.  I think he'll be a good player some day, but probably not for the Reds.
• The Orioles are interested in adding Wayne Krivsky to their front office.  Is it too late to trade him for Brian Roberts?
• Can you name the last 10 NL MVPs in 3 minutes?  How about the last 10 AL MVPs?  I got all of the NL and missed 2 from the AL.
• The AFL has named 6 finalists for the Dernell Stenson Award.  None of them are Reds prospects, but I think it's good to think about Stenson every once in a while to remind ourselves how quickly it could all end.
• Brew Crew Ball thinks that the Brewers could get CC Sabathia if they just add a 6th year to the deal, even if they don't match the Yankees money.  As little as I want to see CC face the Reds 5 times a year, I'm kind of rooting for Sabathia to pick the Brewers over the Yanks.  And once he does, I'll start rooting for him to get hurt. :)
• Does anybody know if the MLB Network is going to be carried by Time Warner in Cincinnati?  If it is, I may very well get fired for lack of output in my job.